Calidad de vida en pacientes chilenas sobrevivientes de cáncer de mama / Quality of life in Chilean breast cancer survivors

Background: Quality of Life (QOL) assessment may evaluate the impact of diseases and their treatment on the overall well-being of patients. Aim: To assess QOL in Chilean breast cancer survivors. Patients and Methods: Ninety one female breast cancer patients aged 60 ± 10 years, who finished their oncologic treatment at least a year prior to the assessment, who were disease free and in medical follow-up were included in the study. They completed the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 core questionnaire and the breast cancer module QLQ-BR23. Results: Forty eight percent of respondents were long term survivors (more than five years). Global QOL scores were high (73.6 ± 18.2), emotional scale had the lowest scores in QLQ-C30 functional scales (72.1). Symptoms with the highest scores were: Insomnia (= 21.2), pain (= 20.8), and fatigue (= 19.1). Body image, sexual function, and concern about the future were the most relevant problems. Body image was superior in patients with breast-conserving surgery (p = 0.008), and cognitive function was better in patients in early disease stage (p = 0.03) and in those with more than five years of survival (p = 0.04). Conclusions: Even when global QOL scores were high, some symptoms were prevalent. Awareness about these problems and symptoms should improve their diagnosis and treatment.

Operación de Pereyra modificada con suspensión al ligamento de Cooper / Pereyra's modificated surgery with suspension of Cooper's ligament

Evaluación de una técnica quirúrgica para la corrección de prolapso genital e incontinencia de orina de esfuerzo, en 56 pacientes operadas con la técnica de Pereyra modificada con la suspensión al ligamento de Cooper, desde Octubre de 1996 a Septiembre de 1997. Se estudian 12 pacientes con seguimiento postoperatorio durante 9 meses, comprobándose que es una operación relativamente sencilla, con pocas complicaciones imputables al procedimiento y resultados satisfactorios de curación clínica de la incontinencia de orina de esfuerzo durante el período observado